China strongly opposed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's remarks at the ongoing 19th Shangr-la Dialogue on the South China Sea and Taiwan on Saturday, calling them baseless claims and false accusations against China, Xinhua reported.

Austin's accusation that China unprofessionally and frequently intercepts other countries' aircraft in South China Sea airspace is untrue, Lieutenant General Zhang Zhenzhong, deputy chief of the Joint Staff of the Central Military Commission, said at a briefing.

He noted that the expression militarization of the South China Sea" is more suitable for the United States, as they often send warships and aircraft to invade the adjacent waters and airspace of the Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and often conduct short-range reconnaissance and targeted military exercises in the area.

Zhang noted that there were never any problems in the South China Sea until the United States created them.

Calling Austin's remarks about Taiwan interference in China's internal affairs, Zhang urged Washington to stop playing the Taiwan card.

The Taiwan issue is one that could easily bring China-US relations into conflict. A wrong solution to the Taiwan issue will have a devastating effect on bilateral relations. The People's Liberation Army is always ready to resolutely defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity at any cost, he said.